How to Write a Professional Profile (With Examples)

Updated August 10, 2023

A professional profile—or resume profile—is an important tool to consider when building your resume. It is a description that highlights your skills and expertise and it shows employers what assets you will bring to the role you are applying for. You might consider adding a professional profile section to your resume so that employers immediately see how you can benefit their company.

This guide will help you write your professional profile and show you some examples you can use to get started.

What is a professional profile?

A professional profile is an introductory section on your resume that highlights your relevant qualifications and skills. Including a professional profile can have some advantages.

First, your resume profile concisely features your skills and professional experience in a way that gets employers' attention. Employers typically scan resumes and do not spend much time reading each one through. Because of this, your professional profile can be an effective way to quickly show your employer how you will be an asset to the position you're applying for.

Another benefit of including a professional profile is that you can highlight specific skills and expertise that employers require for a certain position. For example, an educator's professional profile might highlight classroom management, curriculum development and teaching skills when seeking an elementary school teaching position.

How to create a professional profile for your resume

Consider the following steps to craft a professional profile that makes your resume stand out:

1. Keep your profile short and concise

Your professional profile should be no more than four brief sentences. You may write your profile as a list in bullet form or as a short paragraph. Include your job title and years of work or training experience. Highlight your professional strengths for the role.

2. Include the skills that are relevant to the job you are applying for

Include only your professional skills and experience that are relevant to the job you're targeting. This is especially helpful if your skills and work history differ from your current career goals because it enables you to showcase the related expertise that hiring managers are looking for.

3. Include any achievements relevant to the job industry

If you have exceptional accomplishments—such as markedly improving sales results in your last position—include those in your professional profile. Quantifiable achievements show employers how you can contribute to the development of their company if they hire you for the role. For example, the details highlighted in this phrase, 'increased open rate for online campaigns by 17% in one year' shows an employer more of your ability than 'increased the open rate for online campaigns.'

4. Place your profile where it's highly visible

Consider showcasing your professional profile at the top of your resume, above your work and education history. Hiring managers and recruiters typically scan the top parts of resumes first.

Download Resume Profile Template

To upload the template into Google Docs, go to File > Open > and select the correct downloaded file.

Tips for writing your professional profile

Here are some additional tips to consider when writing your profile.

Include quantifiable results that show how you perform on work tasks. For example, "developed and implemented data backup and recovery systems that accounted for 20% of XYZ's cyber security software" is more effective than "developed and implemented data backup and recovery systems for Company XYZ."
Choose your words carefully. Keep your profile wording simple and free from figurative language, metaphors and other vague language.
Be yourself in your profile. If a word doesn't feel right to use for describing yourself, use a different word that will encompass your professional values and skills.

Professional profile examples

The purpose of your professional profile is to show how your skills and work experience will meet the requirements of the job. The skills you include should be specific to your desired position. The following list shows examples of professional profiles for a variety of industries:

IT professional profiles

The information technology industry includes positions like web developers, software engineers, technology consultants and cyber security technicians. Skills that are required in the IT industry may include application development, communications, networks such as IP setup and cloud systems administration.

Example: Results-driven professional with repeated success in guiding IT projects from start to finish, managing technical support operations and introducing new technologies to promote operational efficiency.

Medical professional profiles

Medical industry jobs can include physicians, nurses, CNAs and emergency medical technicians. Many jobs in the medical and health care industries require professionals to have strong communication and interpersonal skills, organizational skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Medical roles also require a high amount of empathy and compassion to care for patients.

Example: Registered nurse of 10 years with expertise in intensive care nursing. Organized and detail-oriented with high standards of performance and support of treatment plans and protocols. Compassionate and patient-focused caregiver.

Sales and marketing professional profiles

The sales and marketing industry includes roles such as sales and account managers, outside sales representatives, project managers and marketing directors. Skills in this field require communication and interpersonal skills, business skills, building and maintaining customer relationships and active listening.

Example: Sales and marketing manager with experience in leveraging consultative selling strategies that build relationships across all target markets. Deep knowledge of marketing campaign development and implementation of training programs for new hires.

Construction professional profiles

Construction is a vast industry with many different roles that can include construction site management, laborers, carpentry, road technicians and plumbers. Construction roles typically require physical labor, but there are many skills necessary for success in a construction career. Some required skills include math and language literacy, building and mechanical knowledge, technology and critical thinking skills.

Example: Seasoned drywall technician with over six years of experience working in residential and commercial construction. Efficient worker deeply familiar with interpreting blueprints and technical specifications for successful drywall installation and repair.

Education professional profiles

Jobs in education may frequently include administrative positions like principals, assistant principals and office staff, instructional positions, paraprofessionals, teachers' aids and professors. Education workers require a variety of skills that can include management and organizational skills, leadership, curriculum planning and development, lesson implementation, interpersonal skills and relationship-building strategies within the community.

Example: Veteran teacher with 15 years of experience planning and implementing algebra curriculum for students with disabilities. Passionate and highly effective with success in instructional strategies to develop students' academic skills and raise test scores.

Engineering and design professional profiles

This industry can often overlap with construction and includes jobs like drafting and CAD operations, machinists, civil engineers, aerospace engineers and technical engineers. Technological skills are almost always required for engineering and design roles. Other requirements typically include spatial skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Example: Mechanical engineer with 10 years of experience in materials innovation, maintenance, production and design. Strong attention to detail with considerable leadership abilities.

Legal industry professional profiles

Attorneys and paralegals are the most common roles in law practice. Other industry roles can include arbitrators, legal analysts, case managers and jury consultants. Legal jobs require a strong knowledge of laws and complex language, interpersonal skills, organizational and administrative skills, active listening and logical reasoning skills.

Example: Innovative lawyer experienced with developing case strategies and writing persuasive briefs. Exceptional negotiator deeply familiar with litigation and case management.

News and media professional profiles

This industry encompasses roles such as journalists, news anchors, directors, editors and camera operators. The desirable skills generally include public relations and speaking skills, audience engagement and the ability to deliver clear, effective messages.

Example: TV news copy editor with exceptional editing skills and attention to detail. Extensive experience leading a team of content editors and writers in providing current and engaging text to meet company standards.